LOL at the lot of you Predicting the Fremantle Dockers getting the Wooden spoon or even getting bottom 2. After the shocking season Freo had in 2016 getting 4 wins, I knew Freo were going to get 6-10 wins in 2017. I said in 2017 the only way I would accept Freo getting bottom 4 is that they get 7-8 wins.

Don't mind getting bottom 6 with 7-8 wins again in 2018.

I will do me predictions after the drafts, trades and fixtures

Click to expand...

Just some early thoughts given how Fremantle finished up the season. Probably will do one after the fixture release, trade period and draft.

- Richmond will finish top 3.
- Melbourne will finish 5th or higher, they have a premiership foundation like Richmond did in 2013.
- St Kilda will play finals and top 4 smokey, their best is excellent and I rate their coach (one of the very best in the AFL).
- Carlton will finish around 8th with the Clarkson fairy dust rubbing off. Bolton won't blow his load on next year though, slow burn upwards.
- Essendon will go backwards, slightly. Emotionally charged season this year and still couldn't make finals, and have ageing players like North last year.
- North I'm predicting will rebound quickly like Richmond did and finish 5th-8th. Two reasons: Consistent drafting over 10 years, and missing out of guns will galvanise their battlers to go up a level. Dislike them, but strongly expect them to do a Richmond.
- Collingwood is interesting, they'll either do a Richmond with Buckley or they'll finish bottom 4. I haven't seen Bucks display the emotional capacity to do a Hardwick yet, so bottom 4 with a lottery ticket chance of a premiership.
- Brisbane rising to a proud 10th.
- Adelaide will miss the finals because several bottom 8 teams will mimic Richmond's high pressure game plan and half the teams will dismantle their elite passing strategy
- Geelong's list consists of the wrong type of players for the modern style and they seem to be trading several of them not because they're not talented, but because they aren't suited for the modern high pressure game now. This indicates their long-term list strategy has gone the wrong way and they could have a talented list, but the wrong players. Still makes the finals on talent, though.Hawthorn lower third of the ladder. Won several great games this year on the back of a superior psychological advantage in the shadow of past premierships, but their aura has disappeared now and Clarkson will be rebuilding the list for a totally new style of football to get ahead of the curve. It takes more than 1 year to reshape a list to get ahead of the curve again.Port as much as I dislike them, they will make finals. They've stuck by their coach like Richmond, and look to be trying to emulate Richmond's team unity approach.Dogs will be top 4 now that they've ejected a culturally poisonous player and their young list will be hungry to regain respect.West Coast lower third of the ladder. Other clubs around them just look more promising, they've done nothing wrong themselves. I just don't see anything particularly special with them, and one of their strengths is conning the umpires for technical free kicks, so I'm a little biased against them due to that being their priority at training and I don't see how they're going to gain an advantage through more honourable means, and objectively I think North, Dogs, Port, Saints, Carlton, Collingwood, Melbourne, etc look like they're doing more to improve.Fremantle, Gold Coast, Sydney I don't know enough about them TBH.GWS I actually think they're well-suited to drop off next year. They've failed in 2 prelims in a row due to lack of teamwork, not talent, which I predict will lead them to fracture as they point fingers during the off-season. Too many prima donnas for them to rally, and not enough media exposure up there to kick their ass into the "us vs the world" mindset they desperately need.

- Richmond will finish top 3.
- Melbourne will finish 5th or higher, they have a premiership foundation like Richmond did in 2013.
- St Kilda will play finals and top 4 smokey, their best is excellent and I rate their coach (one of the very best in the AFL).
- Carlton will finish around 8th with the Clarkson fairy dust rubbing off. Bolton won't blow his load on next year though, slow burn upwards.
- Essendon will go backwards, slightly. Emotionally charged season this year and still couldn't make finals, and have ageing players like North last year.
- North I'm predicting will rebound quickly like Richmond did and finish 5th-8th. Two reasons: Consistent drafting over 10 years, and missing out of guns will galvanise their battlers to go up a level. Dislike them, but strongly expect them to do a Richmond.
- Collingwood is interesting, they'll either do a Richmond with Buckley or they'll finish bottom 4. I haven't seen Bucks display the emotional capacity to do a Hardwick yet, so bottom 4 with a lottery ticket chance of a premiership.
- Brisbane rising to a proud 10th.
- Adelaide will miss the finals because several bottom 8 teams will mimic Richmond's high pressure game plan and half the teams will dismantle their elite passing strategy
- Geelong's list consists of the wrong type of players for the modern style and they seem to be trading several of them not because they're not talented, but because they aren't suited for the modern high pressure game now. This indicates their long-term list strategy has gone the wrong way and they could have a talented list, but the wrong players. Still makes the finals on talent, though.Hawthorn lower third of the ladder. Won several great games this year on the back of a superior psychological advantage in the shadow of past premierships, but their aura has disappeared now and Clarkson will be rebuilding the list for a totally new style of football to get ahead of the curve. It takes more than 1 year to reshape a list to get ahead of the curve again.Port as much as I dislike them, they will make finals. They've stuck by their coach like Richmond, and look to be trying to emulate Richmond's team unity approach.Dogs will be top 4 now that they've ejected a culturally poisonous player and their young list will be hungry to regain respect.West Coast lower third of the ladder. I just don't see anything special with them, and their main strength is conning the umpires for technical free kicks, so if that is their priority at training I don't see how they're going to gain an advantage through more honourable means.Fremantle, Gold Coast, Sydney I don't know enough about them TBH.GWS I actually think they're well-suited to drop off next year. They've failed in 2 prelims in a row due to lack of teamwork, not talent, which I predict will lead them to fracture as they point fingers during the off-season. Too many prima donnas for them to rally, and not enough media exposure up there to kick their ass into the "us vs the world" mindset they desperately need.

I'm not sure about the Port Adelaide hype. I'm expecting a tougher fixture and more pressure on the club to succeed which may not help them. As most know, they failed to beat a single incumbent top eight side during the year so some including myself might see them as mentally weak. There are a lot of flakey types who you can't rely on 22 times a year. I'll give them their back line, it's terrific and deserves more praise than it gets. But that midfield lacks something vital and it doesn't look like being filled unless Powell-Pepper goes full Oliver or something next year.

They can well make finals, or even go top four and win the flag but I don't see the improvement and I don't think they'll make finals. A lot of players would have to pull their fingers out to see success - Hartlett, Polec, Neade, SGray, Motlop if recruited.

Click to expand...

Port actually finished 7th which puts us in the 2nd band. We will play the Crows twice and then only 1 other top 6 team at a maximum.

Richmond will make finals, but with a tougher draw and perhaps not as good a run with injuries, it won't be super high.
Still, based on pre-trade, and the fact that the AFL season is so unpredicatble I'll have a stab.
I expect Melbourne to improve with astute trading. Bombers have the firepower to do well. I also expect Pies, Blues and Lions to improve, albeit slowly, but improve all the same.
Port needs to convince me that they can handle the mental side of things to be a big improver, but on talent, they are capable.
Hawks could surprise too. I probably have them too low.
Jury is out on the Dogs for mine. Could be high, could be middle.

Just some early thoughts given how Fremantle finished up the season. Probably will do one after the fixture release, trade period and draft.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I think it's quite possible Freo might have a disappointing 2018. I'm not sold Lyon is the man going forward for the Dockers but we'll know more next year. Personally think they will finish bottom 4 in 2018 but open to the possibility that they could win around 8 games and avoid the bottom 4 like they did this year. Seems the consensus bottom 3 so far is Fremantle, Gold Coast and North Melbourne in any order.

Just some early thoughts given how Fremantle finished up the season. Probably will do one after the fixture release, trade period and draft.

Click to expand...

Freo had the glass that was half full/ Half empty season.

The two games vs your mob summed up freos season. In good day, we can beat your mob at the MCG. On bad day as taking your mob at Subi Late in the season, we looked very bad.

People go on about how freo lost to Port by 89 points, Lost to Crows, Richmond and Sydney by over 100 points each. Fair enough. I get p***ed off Yet People forget we were a good Michael Walters goal to beat the cats In Geelong and lost Narrowly to GWS in NSW.

People wondered why we struggled in the 2nd half of the season...Injuries came and we had no choice but to play more youth. Guys like Logue, Cox and Darcy each got around 10 games each. Nyhuis, Ryan, Deluca and Balic all played round 2-5 games each. That's 7 1st year players. What I just said crushes the Myth that ross Lyon doesn't play youth.

As I said I rather take the 8 wins we got with a young squad like freo had in 2017 than get 4 wins with an old squad freo in 2016.